Michael Carrick has made two changes to his Middlesbrough team for the game at Blackburn.

Matt Crooks and Riley McGree come into the side, replacing Isaiah Jones and Duncan Watmore. It's a first start for Crooks since Carrick took charge.

It's not clear what the changes will mean for the set-up, with Crooks for Jones not a like-for-like switch. It could mean a more narrow midfield three including Crooks, with Howson sitting slightly deeper. Or perhaps Crooks will join Marcuss Forss and Chuba Akpom in a front three.

On the bench, there's one change with Rodrigo Muniz coming in for Matthew Hoppe.

Blackburn are unchanged from their Boxing Day defeat at Sunderland.

READ MORE: Blackburn vs Boro LIVE

Blackburn: Kaminski, Rankin-Costello, Ayala, Hyam, Pickering; Morton, Buckley; Hedges, Dack, Brereton-Diaz, Gallagher

Subs: Pears, Hirst, Wharton, Markanday, Travis, Garrett, Wharton

Boro: Steffen, Smith, Fry, Lenihan, Giles; Howson, Hackney, Crooks, McGree; Akpom, Forss

Subs: Roberts, Jones, Mowatt, Muniz, McNair, Watmore, Bola